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Tbecame clear Ruben Amorim could survive a loss to Grimsby. Survive losing a crucial continental showpiece against a particularly poor Tottenham teams in living memory. He withstood losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, laying waste to some of the club’s most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to tango. If you challenge the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous top-flight right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning 1994-95 season, Amorim took on the executive and appears to have failed. The most distracted of readers can see the irony here: a manager who frequently berated his squad for failing in individual battles crumbling when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of one of England's top division's most intimidating football executives.

In truth, this whole bruising episode appears to portray the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been easy, given his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to regard him as merely a drudge within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due largely to his friendship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting United’s feted manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that United’s mid-table rivals will now be rightly wary.

The Strategic Conflict Regarding Formation & Philosophy

To illustrate, this was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim originally, played a key role in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his favored 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties met a certain resistance. However, these judgements hold greater authority when delivered from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to explain his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise why Amorim is departing with a full payout, with no compensation reduction clause in place. The director seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals of this sport – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably we would perceive would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Supreme Power In Command

But of course, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the true genius behind the modern United throne. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who privately has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also proposed deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for the club to embrace analytics and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he declared that the team's approach of play “will be decided by this group”.

After all, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his previous experience in petrochemicals and yachting. Most importantly he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply better. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the building of a new stadium that appears a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Soccer Hierarchy: Directors Over Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and energy to join a club and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. It is wiser to determine the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who can tailor their methods to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, yet finally accountable if it arrives poorly or fails of the box.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly not about defining the vision and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead of an organisation they have minimal power to influence. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined while those individuals who appointed him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Football: Accountability Only for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this is simply corporate governance in action: the elevation of a gilded elite who are infallible, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Hire the system coach only to fire them for playing excessively 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and then discard him for requiring too long. And above all show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for the latest summer signings, for the reality that the adults – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.